Golf club buggy



Nov. 11, 1941. B. s. PROCTER GOLF CLUB BUGGY Filed May 17, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 GOLF CLUB BUGGY Filed May 1'7, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 inexpensive club carrier;

Patented Nov. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GOLF CLUB BUGGY Bryant 8. Procter, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 17, 1941, Serial No. 398,902

BClaima.

This invention relates to mechanical caddies, such as have become increasingly popular on golf courses to enable the player to move his clubs over the course, instead of employing a boy to carry them. These mechanical caddies have, for the most part, heretofore taken the form of a two-wheel cart or buggy having a platform to support a golf bag and clubs, and an upright frame member to which the golf bag may be strapped, and a handle at its upper end for tilting and pushing the buggy or cart over the ground.

In another known form of these devices, the buggy or cart is not designed to transport the ordinary golf bag, but is equipped with means for carrying the clubs, which are transferred from the player's golf bag to the buggy or cart at the inception of the play, or it may be used as a complete unit, abandoning the conventional golf bag. My presnet invention relates to devices of the last mentioned type, and the main objects of the invention are to provide a very simple and to provide thereon means for securely supporting the individual clubs in separated relation to avoid noise when trundling the buggy over a course, and to provide improved clips for engaging the shafts of the clubs that are readily adjustable up and down on the main frame to accommodate clubs of varying lengths; to provide a bug y of relatively large club-carrying capacity; and to provide a V buggy equipped with a club mounting and carrying means which is removable from the buggy and may serve the general purposes of a golf bag to enable the player to leave the buggy at the golf course and carry his clubs home or any other place with him in a convenient manner if he so desires.

. With these and other object in view, which will appear later in the detailed description, my invention consists in a golf club buggy having the novel structural features and characteristics hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, I have illustrated two slightly differing forms of the invention, and referring to the drawings Fig. l is a perspective elevation of the buggy shown in idle positionresting upright on the ground.

Fig. .2 is a vertical transverse section of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in top plan and partly in horizontal section on the line 8-4 of Fig. 2 of an improved cross-bar carrying clips that engage the individual shafts of the clubs and a simple means for adjustably mounting the same on the upright frame bars of the buggy.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the clubsupporting platform, viewed on the line H of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification which includes an apron attached at its lower end to the short bag on the platform that receives the heads of the golf clubs, and itself carries the transverse bars which carry the shaft-engaging clips; which modification provides a form of golf club carrier that may be suspended from the shoulder of the player.

Fig. 6 is a perspective elevation of the removable golf club carrier shown assembled with the buggy in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the short-bag that is divided into compartments for the individual heads fo the clubs, looking downwardly on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Referring first to the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, l0 designates a pan-shaped metal platform, and II designates each of a pair of axle sections on which are mounted the ground wheels It. The inner ends of the axle sections are formed as depending extensions that are welded or otherwise secured, as indicated in Fig. 4, to the rear end portions of opposite sides of the platform It, substantially perpendicular to the plane of the bottom of the platform.

l3 designates each of a pair of upright parallel frame bars that are similarly secured at their lower ends to the same opposite sides of the platform to which the axle sections are secured substantially midlength of said sides and also substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the platform. Continuous with the upper ends of the frame bars I3 is an inverted U-shaped rearwardly inclined handle I4. Preferably as is herein shown, the upright bars l3 and handle Hi are a one-piece structure formed by bending a length of tubing to the form shown.

Removably seated in the platform I0 is a low or short bag l5 made of leather, canvas, or other flexible material, and divided by a central longitudinal partition l6 and transverse partitions l1 into individual compartments for the golf club heads. Attached to the front wall of the bag It I have shown a case I8 of the same material for holding golf balls, equipped with a zipper it, but no claim is made herein to this feature.

20 and 2 designate as entireties transverse bars extending between and at their ends at-' tached to the upright frame bars H, which bars carry clips for engaging-the shaftsof the golf clubs, as indicated in Fig. 2. The preferred construction of these bars is shown in the enlarged view, Fig. 3, wherein 22 designates a metal channel of suflicient length to extend between and across the frame bars l3, and 24 designates a rubber sheath which envelopes the channel 22 and is integral with a solid lateral extension 25 of the sheath, which extension is formed with a row of holes 26 having narrow entrance-ways 21 through which the shafts of the clubs can be pushed into the holes 26, said holes being of a size to substantially fit around the club shafts.

These transverse bars and 2| are, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, secured to opposite sides respectively of the frame bars l3 and are attached to the frame bars l3 by simple fastenings that will enable them to be adjusted lengthwise of the bars I3. A simple attachment means is illustrated in Fig.3 and consists of bolts 28 that pass through holes 29 in the end-portions of the channel 22 and are formed on' one endv with hooks 30 that embrace' the uprights l3 and are equipped on their other threaded ends with wingnuts 3| by which the channel 22 and the'hooks 3|! can be clamped securely on the bars l3.

The'form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive embodies the same buggy structure as that previously described, but includes a simple golf bag substitute which will enable the player to conveniently carry his clubs to and from the golf course, if he so desires.

Attached to and centrally of the bag I5 is an upstanding flexible apron 32 that lies between and approximately in the plane of the frame uprights 3. In this case, the transverse c1ip carrying bars 20' and 2|, which are functionally similar to the bars 20 and 2|, are attached to and crosswise of the upper portion of the apron 32. Such attachment may be effected by small machine screws 33 passed through the inner wall of the sheath 24 and the apron 32, v

and tightened up by nuts 34. In this case the bars 20' and 2| do not extend across the frame bars l3, but terminate flush with the edges of the apron 32; and strap and buckle fasteners 35 secured to the edges of the'apron serve to detachably fasten the latter to the frame bars l3. The bars 20' and 2| can be adjusted lengthwise of the apron by resetting the fastening screws 33 and nuts 34 at points higher or lower on the apron. Attached to one end of the bag l5 and the corresponding edge of the apron 32 is an adjustable shoulder strap 36, so that the player can, by unbuckling the fastening straps 35, separate the bag l5 and apron 32 from the buggy and transport his clubs at will, leaving the buggy at the club house or any other convenient place.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 2, that the buggy, the ground between successive plays, is very stable. The frame and the golf clubs are substantially vertical, and the bottom of the platform is resting in contact with the ground, and this contact frictionally prevents movement of the wheels under the influence of wind or ground grade. When the frame is swung rearwardly to.

tilted position, the platform is raised from the ground, the frame and clubs are tilted to a suband clips mounted on when not in use and standing on form, wheels on said axle sections, a frame including upright bars secured at their lower ends to said'opposite sides of the platform, a pair of transverse bars extending between and at their ends detachably connected to said upright frame bars, said transverse bars being mounted on opposite sides respectively of said upright frame bars and at different heights, and rows of oppositely facing clips to engage with the shafts of the clubs carried respectively by said transverse bars.

2. A golf club bug y, comprising a pan-shaped platform to support the heads of golf clubs, axle sections secured to opposite sides of said platform, wheels on said axle sections, a frame including upright bars secured at their lower ends to said opposite sides of the platform, a short leather bag seated in said platform and divided by longitudinal and transverse partitions into front and rear rows of-eompartments to seat golf club heads, a pair oftransverse bars extending betweenand at their ends detachably connected to said upright frame bars, said transverse bars being mounted, on opposite sides respectively of said upright frame bars and at different heights, and rows of oppositely facing clips to engage with the shafts of the clubs carried respectively by said transverse bars.

3. A golf club buggy, comprising a pan-shaped platform to support the heads of golf clubs, axle sections the inner ends of which are formed as depending extensions secured to the rear end portions of opposite sides of the platform substantially perpendicular to the plane of the bottom of the platform, wheels on said axle sections, a frame including upright bars secured to said opposite sides of the platform substantially mid-length of said opposite sides and substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the platform; the length of said axle. extensions being such that the bottom of the platform rests flat on the ground when the frame is swung forwardly to substantially vertical position, a transverse bar extending between and at its ends detachably connected to said upright frame bars, said transverse bar to engage with the shafts of the clubs.

4. An embodiment of claim 3, wherein the transverse bar and clips consist of a metal channel, a rubber sheath enclosing all except the end portions of said channel, anda solid integral lateral extension of said sheath formed with a row of holes having narrow entrance ways through which the club shafts are entered into and withdrawn from said holes.

5. An embodiment of claim 3, wherein the upright frame bars are parallel, and the transversebar includes a metal bar of sufiicientlength to extend between and across the upright frame bars and having holes through its end portions, and the detachable connecting means consists of bolts passed through said holes and each having a hook on one end embracing a frame bar and a nut on its other end adapted to be tightened up against said metal bar, whereby, by loosening said nuts the transverse bar may be adjusted along the upright frame bars.

6. A golf club bug y. comprising a pan-shaped said upright frame. bars, a bar attached to and crosswise of the uppermortion of said apron, a row of clips carried by said last named bar to engage with the shafts of the clubs, means for detachably securing the ends of said last named bar to said upright frame bars, and a shoulder strap attached to said apron.

BRYANT S. PROCTER. 

